Kiss
by Frosted Landscapes
Summary: She looks at him, her eyes wide as he moves closer to her. Her breath catches, just slightly and then his thin lips are pressed against her own and all she knows is that she wants more. Zutara.


She is away from camp, far away from it but she doesn't worry. It is times like these that she needs to be away from her insane brother and the young monk she is traveling with. They could be overbearing at times, as she had gotten to know over the past weeks. The moon shines brightly, like a lamp in the middle of the sky, like a ball of yarn that a cat plays with when it was bored, precisely how she is feeling at this present moment.

She removes her outer clothes, basking in the quiet recesses of moonshine. The river, quiet even though she could swear she saw a ripple in the water. Katara enters the cooling water, navigating her way through the dark waters she feels her appreciation for the jungle life grow. She sits, in the still waters, listening to the distant noises of hooting owls, of rattling snakes, of the quiet pattern of a flowing river. She could get used to life like this she decides as she allows her form to lean back against the current allows her body to float on the dark waters.

She loves water; it is truly beautiful, cooling against her skin as she allows it to take her on its course. She thinksback to the day's events and remembers the pirates, the ones whom they stole the scroll from. Stealing is wrong, her mother would be ashamed. This she thinks when she thinks about Kya. Her mother was an upright woman who lived by her principles until the day she died. Katara forces on a tight smile at the thought.

She shuts her eyes and enjoys the way the water caresses her soft brown skin. There are times that she wonders why life was so cruel to her; there are times that she feels that things could have gone better for her and her brother. She sighs and resigns to the fact that this is wishful thinking. What kind of life is she going to have now that she is traveling with the avatar? Who is she supposed to be now that she is with him? She isn't sure, though she is hoping that life would change, that she would be someone, someone that is special and respected.

She knocks her head on something soft and starts, turning around to where it is. There in front of her are two eyes, golden like that of a snakes. Her jaw clenches as she stares right into them. Under the subtle light from the moon she sees his face. He looks at her, stares really as she stares right back. At first she isn't sure what it is much less who. But then under the sacred moonshine, she makes out a face of a man, a boy really, about her age. She swallows hard.

His eyes meet hers and she finds herself paralysed and completely unable to move. She watched silently, still quiet as he stares at her.

"What are you doing here Zuko?" her voice sounds threatening, even though she doesn't feel so. She is afraid, petrified as she looks back into his gaze. This is going to be a nightmare. He doesn't say a word; instead, he continued to stare, to eye her. Her cheeks redden as she watches his eyes take in her body. This isn't what she had planned.

He is still one moment and then his hand captures her right cheek. For in all the many encounters they had, he has never seen her for what she is, nor has she seen him. It was only now that they are swimming, both half naked that either party realized that underneath the exterior, she is just a girl and he just a boy. Gently, longingly, softly, he caresses her soft skin with his fingers. Never had he ever seen a girl as beautiful as she is and although his mind is screaming at him to take this as something serious, to take her as hostage in exchange for the avatar, to behave the way society expects him to, he can't, he just can't break the bond he feels he shares with her now.

Slowly, gently he does the unthinkable; she looks at him, her eyes wide as he moves closer to her. Her breath catches, just slightly and then his thin lips are pressed against her own and all she knows is that she wants more. Aggressively, softly, angrily, she kisses back. On hindsight she still doesn't know why, but she did. Maybe it was the desire to be a champion and not back away, maybe it was just her curiosity, she doesn't know, she doens't want to know. All she does is kiss him, and pull him closer, drowning all his passion with her own.

And so it came to be that the Fire Nation prince and the Water Tribe woman enjoyed their quiet moments together, enjoying soft caresses, warmth and a pool of cold water. It came to be also that when Zuko finally joined the Gaang, they had found it easier and more difficult to accept the presence of each other, their faces reddened at every slight contact they shared, which of course were bountiful.


End file.
